Control device for transmission

Abstract

A control device for a transmission that has multiple shift stages and is configured to change an amount of power output from an engine of a vehicle for output includes a setting unit and a control unit. The setting unit is capable of setting, as a shift change mode, either one of a first shift change mode and a second shift change mode in which a speed of the engine is maintained in a higher state than that in the first shift change mode. The control unit is configured to execute shift change control on a basis of the set shift change mode. The control unit is configured to exclude one or more shift stages of the multiple shift stages and execute the shift change control when the second shift change mode is set.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A control device for a transmission, the transmission having multiple shift stages and being configured to change an amount of power output from an engine of a vehicle for output, the control device comprising:
 a setting unit capable of setting, as a shift change mode, either one of a first shift change mode and a second shift change mode in which a speed of the engine is maintained in a higher state than that in the first shift change mode; and 
 a control unit configured to execute shift change control on a basis of the set shift change mode, wherein 
 when the second shift change mode is set, the control unit is configured to exclude one or more shift stages of the multiple shift stages in such a manner that, of step ratios between shift stages that are permitted to be used, a number of step ratios that have higher values than adjacent step ratios thereof on a low speed stage side becomes smaller than that in a case where none of the shift stages is excluded and execute the shift change control. 
 
     
     
       2. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the second shift change mode is set, the control unit is configured to exclude the one or more of the shift stages in such a manner that, of the step ratios between the shift stages that are permitted to be used in the case where none of the shift stages is excluded, the shift stage is excluded that is on the low speed stage side of and adjacent to the shift stage on the low speed stage side of the two shift stages corresponding to the step ratio that has the higher value than the adjacent step ratio on the low speed stage side. 
 
     
     
       3. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to set the second shift change mode as the shift change mode when it is determined that a driver of the vehicle has selected the second shift change mode. 
 
     
     
       4. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to set the second shift change mode as the shift change mode when it is determined that a driver of the vehicle has selected the second shift change mode. 
 
     
     
       5. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to permit an upshift from a shift stage to a first shift stage in the case where it is determined that the vehicle travels steadily when the second shift change mode is set in accordance with a selecting operation by the driver of the vehicle, the shift stage being one of the one or more shift stages and being an adjacent shift stage on the low speed stage side of the first shift stage. 
 
     
     
       6. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to permit an upshift from a shift stage to a first shift stage in the case where it is determined that the vehicle travels steadily when the second shift change mode is set in accordance with a selecting operation by the driver of the vehicle, the shift stage being one of the one or more shift stages and being an adjacent shift stage on the low speed stage side of the first shift stage. 
 
     
     
       7. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle travels steadily on a basis of a road surface gradient and a vehicle speed. 
 
     
     
       8. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle travels steadily on a basis of a road surface gradient and a vehicle speed. 
 
     
     
       9. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 3 , wherein
 when the second shift change mode is set in accordance with the selecting operation by the driver of the vehicle, the control unit is configured to permit a downshift from a shift stage to a second shift stage in the case where it is determined that a kickdown operation has been performed by the driver of the vehicle, the shift stage being one of the one or more shift stages and being a shift stage on a high speed stage side of the second shift stage. 
 
     
     
       10. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 4 , wherein
 when the second shift change mode is set in accordance with the selecting operation by the driver of the vehicle, the control unit is configured to permit a downshift from a shift stage to a second shift stage in the case where it is determined that a kickdown operation has been performed by the driver of the vehicle, the shift stage being one of the one or more shift stages and being a shift stage on a high speed stage side of the second shift stage. 
 
     
     
       11. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 9 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to determine whether the kickdown operation has been performed on a basis of an accelerator opening degree of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       12. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to determine whether the kickdown operation has been performed on a basis of an accelerator opening degree of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       13. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to set the second shift change mode as the shift change mode in the case where it is estimated that the driver of the vehicle has an intention of rapid acceleration. 
 
     
     
       14. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to set the second shift change mode as the shift change mode in the case where it is estimated that the driver of the vehicle has an intention of rapid acceleration. 
 
     
     
       15. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to estimate whether the driver of the vehicle has the intention of the rapid acceleration on the basis of the accelerator opening degree of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
       16. The control device for the transmission according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the setting unit is configured to estimate whether the driver of the vehicle has the intention of the rapid acceleration on the basis of the accelerator opening degree of the vehicle.